Musings on homeschooling, theology, parenting, Anglican Church in North America, Pittsburgh, family, arts and crafts, Korea, poetry, photography and whatever else gets trapped between my ears. My world is eclectic. I think everyone's is or ought to be.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Paul to the persecuted at Philippi (2:5-11)

03 November 2010

Beyond words, just beyond words.

A few weeks ago, ToAllTheWorld blogged about Calvary Church's so called "Seusscharist" and I was beyond words. It took me days, really, before I could even say anything about this, and then words still were inadequate.

But it's Pittsburgh. I have friends in Pittsburgh. I care about what they do here, even if this is a TEC church and should therefore no longer be my concern. And really, I wanted to hold out the opinion that maybe this wasn't as tacky, pedantic and condescending as it looked.

I'm sorry. I was wrong. I would very much like to say that I was wrong in my assumption that a "Seusscharist" was a bad idea. That's not the kind of wrong I was. Calvary now has their liturgy, all of it, online here. I can't say I've read it all. So far I've not gotten past the "readings." But here's an excerpt:

The Collect for Purity, those ancient words "to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid" has become this:

Almighty Godto you all hearts are open wide,All of our want-wanting in you we confideand from you our secrets we just can not hide:Clean the thinks of our thumpersAnd we shall be happy jump-jumpers.So, by the help of your Holy Ghost,Your Name we may deservingly boast;through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I think I'm going to vomit in my striped hat.

Words fail, again when the first lection is the Book of Yertle the Turtle (no kidding) and for those of us on the ACNA side of the ugly divide that brings to mind a rather less than glamorous blog post from Jim Simons of TEC-PGH likening our Bishop Duncan to that same tyrannical turtle. I shall spare you that link. Hopefully Calvary's connection there was coincidence, but it makes my stomach roll just to think on it.

If you can handle more, the "Confession" is certainly note-worthy:

God, we have wronged youAnd we need to say boo-hooFor the things we did and didn’t doWe are not contentwe want to repentOne hundred percentOh so sorry we sayWon’t you forgive us this day;So we can walk in your wayAbsolutionAll Powerful God have mercy on yousAnd forget the sins of we WhosKeep you from all strifeAnd lead you into new life

I'm sorry friends in TEC. I don't know what to say, what comfort to offer. With regard to Seusscharist, my mamma done taught me... if I can't say anything nice, I musn't say anything at all.

Each day, the real differences between TEC and ACNA become more clear. The "split" was not about VGR or homosexuality (That was only a symptom), it was about theology and the life of the church.As some of the liberal commentators on this post prove, we sadly no longer speak the same language. Once the liberal traditionalist divide was using the same words but meaning different things. Now even their words are different.

So thankful to have left this behind and be enjoying the real freedom of Jesus Christ worshiping in truth and beauty in ACNA.